Handling the most complex injury claims in California.
Dedicated and skillful lawyers from Melinda J. Helbock's law office in San Diego serve not only the city but also the entire state of California.
Personal Injury is a legal term that refers to all types of accidental injuries or other harm that affects a human, rather than property or assets. The harm can be obvious bodily injury, or it may cause problems with a person’s mind, emotions or psychological well-being. Physical injuries may be easier to document than are claims of damage to a person’s emotional health. Some types of harm are not caused by a physical event, but they are due to verbal assault, insults, discrimination or when another person berates a reputation.
Other injuries are delayed in appearance, as is the case with an industrial illness like mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to toxic chemicals often decades earlier in the victim’s life. Wrongful death, dog bites and medical malpractice are other events that can lead to personal injury. A product defect or failure can also cause injuries, but those products only become dangerous when a person or company was negligent in design, manufacture, installation or some other element that involves product safety.
If an accident or deliberate harmful behavior caused injury to you, or death to a loved one, it is time to take action and fight back. Your California Personal Injury Attorney knows all about Personal Injury legal options, and will help you can make informed decisions about pursuing fair compensation.
An accident generally occurs suddenly, without warning, although some accidents do happen because people ignore warnings. Vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall, medical malpractice, product failures and other events can happen in an instant, causing physical harm or death in some cases. Discrimination and violations of civil rights are not usually as obvious, but still harm a person, their finances and sometimes their life.
Your San Diegoattorney will collect all information about your accident and injuries, your income losses and other details that are related to injury-created problems. They have expert witnesses to help with investigations and calculate expenses, including future need for medical care, income and other financial problems that would result from the accident. You life and lifestyle may be drastically affected by your personal injuries; you deserve fair compensation for losses and expenses that those injuries cause.
Fees in San Diego Personal Injury cases generally are charged on a contingency basis. You only pay for minor ongoing expenses until and if your case is won; after you receive payment, attorney fees are paid from that settlement or award.
Your San Diego California Personal Injury Attorney will work closely with you, to make sure every possible claim is filed and that you get fair treatment from insurance companies. Remember, insurance companies are not going to help you get maximum payments; they only want to minimize costs for their company. Do not sign anything or make an agreement without consulting with your own attorney first.
Some property damage claims may also be included separately by your attorney.
There is a broad variety of claims to make under Personal Injury Law. Most involve expenses for medical care and work loss, but if there is a death, survivors can also act to recover costs and financial harm that will occur due to loss of their loved one, their care and financial support. The amount of claims is based on many elements of the case; establishing liability and negligence is critical to winning a case and calculating compensation.
To determine liability, an attorney looks at all aspects of the case, including the accident scene, any warnings, the weather and many other factors aside from the actual accident or non-physical elements.
Injuries may be caused accidentally, deliberately or by negligent/reckless behavior. How a San Diego personal injury accident happens is important, because this affects responsibility and liability for the harm. Many San Diego personal injuries are caused when another person or company fails to use reasonable care and an accident/injury is the result of that negligence. A victim can be partly responsible for their own injury in some cases, if they misuse a product or ignore warnings or the law. A San Diego personal injury attorney also must prove the injury was a foreseeable result of that negligent action. Defense to this accusation sometimes is waged against that term “foreseeable” by arguing that the victim should have been able to foresee a negative result themselves.
The amount of any San Diego personal injury settlement or award is based on the extent and intensity of injuries and other damages. Traffic accidents generate most San Diego personal injury claims in this country. Monetary results are generally kept confidential, but some estimates are about $24,000 per case, as of 2013. To win a San Diego Personal Injury case, your personal injury attorney must prove both liability and negligence.
Smaller cases, like slip-and-fall accidents, have the lowest settlement amounts, ranging around $2,000. In cases where there are claims for medical malpractice or wrongful death, settlement amounts average over $300,000. Some states, including California, have a cap on some claim awards or settlements.
Do not be afraid to contact or hire a San Diego Personal Injury Attorney when you have legal matters to resolve. They will welcome your inquiry and provide a free consultation to discuss your concerns about your accident and injury case.
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